Cold application



Aug. 23, 1949. E. o. SEARS COLD APPLICATION Filed Jan. 12, 1945 INVENTOR. Edward Oneal Sears BY .f fiw ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 23, 1949 COLD APPLICATION Edward Oneal Sears, Oakland, Calif., assignor to Colvin-Templeton, Inc., Oakland, Calif., a corporation of California Application January 12,

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in cold applications for patients, to be used principally in the practice of low-temperature anesthesia, but adapted for use in any case where it is desired to absorb heat from any part of the body of a patient.

' More particularly it is proposed to provide a cold application of the character described, in which a steady temperature may be maintained 1945, Serial e. 572,543

without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawing in detail, my invention generaly comprises a refrigeration plant I, an applicator 2, and hose connections 3 between the plant and the applicator, a portion of the hose connections being shown as being rolled into a coil.

The refrigerating plant may be of any suitable for any desired length of time, under control of construction as tong as it is capable f main;

the operator, and without the necessity of making any change once the application has been applied.

It is further proposed to provide a cold applitaining a refrigerant at a desired temperature for passing through the applicator. "In the preferredfform shown, it comprises a compressor 4, a motor 5 for driving the same, a

cation in which no ice is no replenishing condenser (not shown) a liquid receiver 6, an

is required, the dripping involved in ice applications is avoided, and in which any desired changes in temperature may be obtained instantly.

evaporator l, a liquid refrigerant line 8 connecting the receiver with the evaporator, and a 'suctionline 9 connecting the top of the evaporator with'the" pump Only the inside wall of .the

And finally it is proposed to provide an evaporator isfshown, but the latter should be plication of the character described, that is economical, requires little attention on the part of the attendant, is light in weight, and readily adapts itself to the part of the body to which it is applied.

In carrying out the objects of my invention, I propose to utilize a refrigeration system in which a refrigerant is maintained at a desired temperature and is made to circulate in heat exchange relation with the part of the body to be treated.

For this purpose I preferably use an applicator in the form of a portable unit adapted for fitting upon the part of the body to be treated and equipped with a conduit through which a refrigerant may be made to pass.

I further use a refrigeration plant, preferably portable for convenient handling in hospitals and the like, for maintaining a refrigerant at the desired temperature and means for circulating the properly insulated in accordance with best practice.

The line 8 enters the evaporator, which latter is in the form of a vessel or tank, intermediate its height and the entrance opening is controlled by a float-regulated valve indicated at H] which prevents the liquid from rising beyond a predetermined level.

As heat units are absorbed by the liquid refrigerant, it evaporates and the vapors are sucked toward the compressor pump, are compressed and reliquefied, in the condenser for delivery to thereceiver and the evaporator.

A suitable gauge i I for indicating the pressure in the evaporator and apressure regulating valve [2 are provided for controlling the temperature of the; refrigerant.

Thus the refrigerant in the evaporator is mainrefrigerant through the conduit in the applicator. 0 tamed desired steady low temperature, and

Further objects and advantages of my invention will appear as the specification proceeds and the novel features thereof will be fully set forth in the claims. hereto appended.

this refrigerant is used for maintaining the applicator 2 at the desired temperature.

The applicator may be made of any suitable form adaptable for fitting over the part of the The preferred form of the invention is illuspatients body 00106 Subjected t010W t mperature.

trated in the accompanying drawing forming part of this invention, in which:

Figure 1 presents a diagrammatic illustration of the invention; and

It is here shown in the form of a flexible pad of suitable material, the pad being lined by flexible tubing l3 turned upon itself a number of times to form a substantially continuous layer of tubing Figure 2, a cross-section through an applicator upo O e ace o the pad.

taken along line 2-2 of Figure 1.

While I have shown only the preferred form of .my invention, it should be understood that various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the claims hereto attached to Any other form, such as a spiral winding of the tube, may be substituted, the object being to form a substantially solid tube lining on one side of the pad.

The tubing may be held in place by cloth ll stitched over the same as shown in Figure 2, or in any other suitable manner.

Depending upon results desired, the tubing may be concentrated to a more or less degree, and in some cases a single stretch of tubing might be suificient. It may be on the outside of the pad or on the inside, depending uponrhow much insulation isdesired between the tubing and the body of the patient. a

The tubing is preferably made of flexible material to conform easily to the shape of the body, and there are certain plastics on the market which have approximately the right amount of flexibility for this purpose.

It will be noted that this applicator lends it self readily to manufacture in any form suited for use on different parts of the body of a patient.

It may be made in the former a flat pad of any desired dimensions, square, round or elongated, I

or in the form of a glove or mitten for application to the hand, or in the form of a shoe for application to the foot, a cap for application to the head, or Whatever form may be desired.

The tubing I 3 is suitably connected to a circulating pump I5 disposed in the bottom of the evaporator and driven by a motor I6 accommodated in a chamber I7 above the evaporator. The pump draws in a conventional manner on the refrigerant in the evaporator through an opening not shown, and discharges through a, pipe 3, a coupling 20, and a coiledhose length 3 into one end of the tube 13. The other end of the tube 13 is connected to the evaporator through a second coiled hose length 3 arranged adjacent to the former, a second coupling .28 and a second pipe 3 which discharges into plete the pump circuit. The pump circulates the refrigerant through the tubing I 3, and, with proper setting of the pressure-regulating valve, will maintain the tubing at the desired temperature as long as the refrigerating plant is in operation.

For the sake of convenience, the refrigerating plant is preferably made portable by being housed in a cabinet l8, equipped with wheels l9, preferthe evaporator to com- -ab1y two in front and a swiveled one in the rear.

The cabinet mayhave 'sufficient space to accommodate a plurality of pads adapted for different purposes. The pads are preferably made a portable and separable units and may be attached to the pump piping by suitable couplings indicated at Although two parallel lengths of coupling hose are required, it is apparent that they may be arranged in adjacent relation through the major part of the lengths for convenience in'handllng. The manner of using my invention will be readily understood from the foregoing description. A hospital equipped with one or more of the apparatus can readily move the same from room to room as required.

Equipped with a number of different forms of ,i ing rapid evaporation pads, any nurse may easily select the best form and apply the same to the part of the patients body to be treated. The liquid in the evaporator can be easily kept at proper temperature at all times, as in a conventional refrigerator, and after the pad has been applied and the motor started, the pad will remain at the proper temperature without further attention until the motor is stopped. a

It will be understood that the principal idea of my invention lies in the circulation of the refrigerant in heat exchange relation with the part of the body to be treated, and in the use of the applicator for this purpose.

I claim:

1. In combination, an evaporator tank for holding a body of liquid refrigerant therein, means for pumping liquid refrigerant from the bottom of the body through. an applicator and back to the body, a compressor unit having a suction line connecting to the tank above said body for causing rapid evaporation of the refrigerant at the entire surface thereof and having a discharge line connectingtothe-tai'ik substantially at the level of the refrigerant surface for returning liquid refrigerant, a float valve operable by the refrigerant for controlling the discharge line, and a pressure regulating valve in the suction line, whereby the temperature of the refrigerant in the applicator is directly subject to the control of the pressure regulating valve, and temperature changes are immediately transmitted through the entire body of the refrigerant.

'2. In combination, an evaporator tank for holding a body of liquid refrigerant therein, means for pumping liquid refrigerant from the bottom of the body through an applicator and back to the body, a compressor unit having a suction line connecting to the tank above said body for causof the refrigerant at the entire surface thereof and having a discharge line connecting to the tank substantially at the level of the refrigerant surface for returning liquid refrigerant, a float valve operable by the refrigerant for controlling the discharge line, and a pressure regulating valve in the suction line, whereby the temperature of the refrigerant in the applicator is directly subject to the control of the pressure regulating valve, and temperature changes are immediately transmitted through the entire body of the refrigerant, the pumping means comprising a pump located in the bottom of the tank.

EDWARD ONEAL SEARS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of file of this patenti UNITED STATES PATENTS record in the Number 

